Hearth and Homemaker

Teach Your Child to Sew

In the last couple of months, I have realized just how big my children have gotten.  It has brought to mind the many things I should be beginning to work on with them, that I haven't even thought about.  As they get older, I want them to learn the skills that I (and in fact most people of our generation, especially women) never had a chance to learn.  Chief among those skills is sewing.
 
Unless you want your daughters, starting at age 6, to wear clothing that closely resembles  something that a particular formerly bald pop star would be seen wearing (sans her "unmentionables"), then sewing is truly a must.  Not to mention that it's quite pathetic that most people nowadays don't even know how to sew on a button (among many other very basic skills)!  Sewing, like fixing a car, is a skill that will always come in handy as your child grows up.  Everyone loses a button, has hems come undone, and needs to have clothing taken in/out or somehow adjusted.

My two oldest children, at ages four and (almost) six are a little young to do real sewing, I think.  But I did want to start introducing them to the concept.  Today I let them watch as I pinned together two rows of completed quilt blocks, and then sewed them together, and pinned the seams flat in preparation for pressing.  I made sure they stayed back, knew not to come too close or bump me or do anything that too greatly distracted me while the machine was going. 

They were very interested as I explained why I was pinning the rows, what a backstitch was and when and why it was used, and how I had to stop before a pin got to close to the presser foot in order to remove it and stick it in the pin cushion.  I explained that I needed to make sure the needle was down if I stopped and needed to lift the presser foot to make sure the seams were laying flat before sewing over them. 

Now all of this wasn't intended to be a real lesson...obviously it was more information than a young child would need in an introductory lesson.  It was just meant to teach them a little bit about sewing and to garner interest in the hobby.  They were very interested, and impressed when I laid out the rows of stitches quilt blocks to show them how it would look when it was done.  I also cautioned them many times that a sewing machine is a tool, that the needle is sharp and can be dangerous, and that a child is never to touch a sewing machine or foot pedal at all, unless they have permission and mommy is with them, helping. 

I'm not sure at what point they will be ready to really start learning.  My friends have started their children with a needle and thread.   I know how to hand sew even less than machine sew, and my stitches are notoriously messy, so I don't see much point in starting with that.  In searching online, I found a fabulous tutorial at One Hour Craft, for teaching your child how to machine sew in a safe manner.  They start the child out with no needle or bobbin in the machine, so the worst that can happen is that the child might get their finger pinched if a finger got too close to the moving parts while "sewing". 

First, the parent teaches the child basic machine parts and how to use it.  Then the child practices using the pedal, getting used to how much pressure is needed to manipulate it.  Then a piece of felt with a straight line drawn on it is placed in the machine (still without needle or thread) and the parent shows the child how to line up the fabric and "sew" along the drawn line. 

When the child is ready, she can move on to working with a real needle and thread, under close and constant supervision, going slowly and using colored thread to try to sew on the line, and eventually, around the edge of the fabric.  After enough practice, the child can go on to sew the little bag in lesson three.  I found these three tutorials to be very well thought-out and  safety-conscious.  It is much more practical than anything I would have come up with.  Their personal opinion is that a child probably isn't ready until she is at least 6 or 7 years old. 

Here are the lessons:
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3

I hope you find them as helpful as I have!

Learn to Play an Instrument Free

Yes indeed, my friends, I must have slept through Wednesday because this Works for Me Wednesday post is being posted in the wee hours of Thursday!    Hey, it still counts.   Because I said so.   ;-)

Have you ever had daydreams of your children playing musical instruments together in a harmonious little family band?  Would you like your child  or yourself to have the opportunity of learning to play now, only you don't have the money to do so?  I have a little secret to share...

You don't have to pay a dime to learn how to play an instrument!  You can learn to play online.  There are many videos on the internet giving instructions of the basics for many different instruments.  There are also many reasonably-priced DVDs and books online that you can order for any instrument, which are designed for beginners to teach themselves.  If you want your younger child to learn, simply learn the basics yourself, and teach it to your child.  Older children can teach themselves. 

With a little effort and a lot of practice, you'd be surprised how far you can get.  Once you find yourself at a point where you want to progress in skill, you can always pay for lessons then.  At least you've saved a lot of money in the meantime.  Plus, if you teach yourself how to play an instrument, you can teach those basics to each of your children...which, if you have a large family, can really add up!  This would be especially helpful with the piano.  I think that is one instrument everyone should learn.  Ideally I would like each of my children to learn the piano and one other instrument of their choice. 

I found a video series on You Tube for how to play the piano.  I wasn't sure I liked the instruction at first, but after a couple of minutes, I realized that the instructions were pretty simple and easy to follow.  I could learn at my own pace, rewind and watch a section again, and I didn't even have to leave the house.  Or get dressed!  Or put on makeup!  Or drag five kids in the car with me!  (Okay, you get the idea, lol.)

In five minutes I learned a few of the basics.  In fact, I learned a lot more in that five minutes than an acquaintance, who taught piano, was able to teach me in two ten-minute sessions.    And I learned it on my child's tiny toy keyboard with the teeny tiny keys!  Of course, for regular playing I will want a full-sized keyboard or piano.  There were videos on You Tube for other instruments too, including the violin, which were very well done. 

"But instruments are expensive!"  So you say.  I say not necessarily.  There are free pianos out there for the taking.  Some may be junk, of course, but often people just don't want to take the monstrosities when they move.  Go online and look up tips on buying used pianos.  Be wary of tips given on websites where they sell new pianos...they may make it sound like buying an old piano is unwise.  While there some precautions you need to take, I think you could get a reasonably decent piano free or very cheap.  On craigslist, I found two or three free pianos that sounded like they would be a good bet, and a dozen more for$100-200.  Freecycle may have some too, as well as your local newspaper's "bargain" ad section. 

Bear in mind that with a piano, free isn't really free.  Even if it's in perfect condition, pianos must be tuned after they are moved.  Also, they are extremely heavy.  You will need at least two very strong men to move an upright piano, and many of the piano owners out there will require that you hire a bonded piano mover or they won't give you the piano.

I know there may be pianists out there who cringe at this advice, but if you take care in researching and selecting your piano, I think you will find something that will work for you.  If you are buying a piano for your five-year-old to learn, or if you are a forty-year-old who just wants to mess around with the piano and have fun, your piano doesn't have to be perfect.  You can always upgrade later if your child becomes seriously interested in pursuing the piano.

Other instruments are much less likely to be free, but will be easy to transport, and less risky to buy.  After researching on craigslist, I was able to find several violins starting at $80, flutes starting at $100, and clarinets starting at $75.  That is much cheaper than new.  I was seeing new flutes starting at $350 on one website.  Wow, imagine spending that and your child ends up hating the flute!  At least if you buy a used one, you can probably turn around and sell it for what you paid.

Another idea, if you are interested in wind instruments, is to get started with a recorder.  This is a plastic instrument that appears somewhat like a clarinet, but there is no reed.  You can find them in many stores as a set with an instruction manual for under ten dollars.  I've seen them at Walmart and Barnes and Noble.   The cheap ones are made of plastic and have a high, shrill sound.  They are all soprano recorders.  An alto recorder, especially one made of wood, is much more pleasant to the ear.  However, they are more expensive, and may be a bit long for the small children to play.  The deeper the sound, the longer the recorder.

That is something to keep in mind--research online how to choose the right size instrument, especially if buying for a child.  A full-size violin is too big for a young child, and would be a waste of money. 

There are also other websites online that may have videos or tutorials on learning instruments, such as Expert Village.  Keep looking until you find the right video series for you. 

For my family, we are planning on getting a piano, a fiddle (same as a violin, just played differently and sometimes has a flatter bridge) and a recorder to start.  We will purchase them one at a time as finances allow.  I may also get a flute, since I played one for a short time as a child.  Incidentally, one video I found online for flute instruction was much more clear and easy to follow than the school's music teacher who taught me as a child. 

Good luck, and get playing!